MAHARASHTRA: Kiran Kurmawar, a 27-year-old woman from the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra recently cracked the entrance exams at Leeds University in London. She drives a passenger jeep to take care of her five family members.
Kiran has decided to pursue an MSc in business and marketing in London. The journey of Kiran from passenger jeep driver to ensuring admission to one of the world’s best universities is not easy. When Kiran was in class 12, her father met with an accident. “After my father’s accident, there was no one in my family to earn. Besides, we also had to bear my father’s medical expenses. Initially, we borrowed money on interest. But taking money on high interest was not a good idea. My father had taught me to drive. This helped me to take up a driving job at the age of 18. This decision affected my studies as well. But we had no other options left,” she said.
“When I started driving the commercial jeep of her father, I was naive. Generally, the driving profession is dominated by men. I felt like a stranger and was too shy to drive the passenger jeep at first. But my parents encouraged me to the work with courage and pride,” said Kiran in broken Marathi.
Kiran said that she is more fluent in Telugu than Marathi because of her education in Telangana. “I can speak Telugu, Hindi and English fluently, but not Marathi while my father speaks fluent Marathi. In our home also, the language of communication is Telugu therefore Telugu as a language has more impact on me than Marathi even though we stay in Maharashtra,” she added.
Talking about her first day of driving the jeep, she said it was tough among all the male drivers and passengers. “I, however, was determined to work as a driver. There was also fear of Naxalites, but since childhood, I was groomed as a courageous child. My father has three daughters and I am the youngest one. My parents thought the third child will be a boy. But they got a girl again. They did not treat me like a girl but as a boy. I was always given the boys’ dresses and toys. My hair was also short. This really worked for me,” Kiran said.
She further said that her parents were so desperate for a boy. “They even gave me a boy name – Kiran. My parents were not happy with my birth but they did not neglect my education. They tried their best to educate the three of us. I was a bright student. I did graduation and an MA in economics in Osmania University,” Kiran said.
She said that after the master, she applied to multiple universities in London. “I cracked the entrance exams and fulfilled the aggregate 75 per cent mandatory grade criteria. I am happy because I secured admission to one of the top universities in London but worried because I do not have enough money to pay Rs 27 lakh as college fees. I expect the government or some charitable organizations to come forward and help me in my education in London,” Kiran said.
“By driving a jeep, I am earning between Rs 1000 to 2000 daily, but this amount can only meet my family’s daily expenses. It is not enough to pay the fees of London University. I appeal to your newspaper if they can help me with my bright future. After studying in London, I want to do business back in India. I am not interested in joining government jobs. I want to create jobs for people,” Kiran said. Interestingly, Kiran received more than 20 medals and awards as the youngest skillful passenger driver in India.
Kiran Kurmawar, a passenger jeep driver in Maharashtra’s Naxal-affected Gadchiroli region, is getting closer to realising her ambition of going to London to study. This mighty heart is prepared for a better future. Sudhir Suryawanshi reports
